South Seattle: Ready-made Compound

This house is part of a new cul-de-sac development in south Beacon Hill, just a few blocks west of the new light rail system. First off, if you are planning on driving past these new houses, take a quick look at the maps following this post. The online location is actually incorrect, and following that map will gain you a good half-hour winding your way through the miles of orange cones and torn up concrete that is Martin Luther King Way.

The development, called Morgan Ridge, consists of six new homes, all constructed in a similar floor plan and aesthetic vein. It is a tad surreal to wind your way through a fairly rough-looking neighborhood with some ramshackle houses to end up in a tight cluster of fresh construction, complete with sod and blacktop. They all overlook the Rainier Valley, and showcase a glimpse of Lake Washington in the distance. For hobby bike-riders and kids, the Powerline Express, also known as the Chief Sealth Trail, is just a couple blocks away.

As far as the houses are concerned, my opinion is colored by what seems to be a rather unimaginative construction concept. They’re packed in so tight, you’d get quite familiar with your cul-de-sac mates. And it’s a classic cliché to say that if the houses weren’t painted different colors, you might find yourself cleaning out the neighbor’s gutters by mistake. While it’s always nice to see investment spreading in the Rainier Valley, I would welcome it more readily if higher standards for design were emphasized and rewarded.

The Details: Price: $489,000. 1,680 square feet. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. $291 per square foot.